My Diary
by Alicia L. F
Summary: Diary or journal entires of Vietnam. It starts with when she was a young country, living under China's roof with the other Asian countries.
1. April 13 102 BC

April 13th, 102 BC

China got me this strange thing and told me that I can write in it. I asked him what to write and he said anything I wanted and suggested that I write about my day, so I will.

I'm Vietnam, China's little sister and sister to Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, and Thailand. I am a sister to many others but they live somewhere else; we all live under China's roof, but I have a feeling that one day we won't. I don't know why but I have this weird feeling that we'd leave one day.

Maybe I shouldn't overthink things.

Today was very eventful, I think. China took Taiwan and me down to the village to buy some food for dinner. Even though we're all rather old compared to people, China looks like a young man and Taiwan and I look like children. Some people had told me I look like a six year old and Taiwan looks like she is four. I don't like it too much; old ladies keep pinching our cheeks and they hurt.

So that's what happened. The old ladies came forward and pinched my cheeks and Taiwan's. They laughed when Taiwan ran behind me and grabbed my arm. Taiwan doesn't like it either. I told China that we both didn't like to be thought as of children, but China said that we act like children sometimes. I don't understand why but I didn't ask him; I was too busy watching a puppet show a few feet away. It looked interesting and China's laugh brought me back to the conversation.

"See," he said. "I told you, aru."

"N-no you didn't." I told him stubbornly. I held my chin up high and told him that I was very mature.

China only laughed and agreed with me. I'm glad to know that he thinks I'm mature.

We came home after an hour- China started talking to an old man, calling him 'boss'. The old man looked at me and Taiwan and he looked very mean. China says he isn't mean, but I still think he looks mean. He would give me and Taiwan a very mean look and say something to China that we couldn't hear. It was very scary.

Anyway, when we came home, China went to the kitchen and cooked. His food is very good. I watch him sometimes, me, Japan, and Hong Kong. We'd usually sit there, watching while the others played. Sometimes I'd taste the food to see if it's ready and tell him. I like my food sweet and sour sometimes, and so does China. Japan likes salty food, but he doesn't mind sweet and sour.

Thailand likes spicy food, and so does Korea, but I think spicy food is okay. But I drink water after spicy food. Thailand and Korea don't have to.

So when China went to cook, Taiwan and I went out to the gardens to find the others. Japan was practicing his caligraphy by the pond and Thailand and Macao were by the pond, crouched down and pointing. Korea was chasing a butterfly near by and Hong Kong watched him.

Taiwan tugged at my arm and told me she wanted to go see what Japan was doing. I asked her why I had to go too, because she always had me go with her everywhere.

"You're my sister, Vietnam!" she said, giving me a big smile. "Pwease?"

Taiwan looked too cute; I like cute things. China has a lot of cute things and I like them. Taiwan was little, and little kids look very cute. So I said okay and went to go see Japan.

Japan is very nice to me. Sometimes he's too quiet, but sometimes, he can be loud like everyone else. I don't know which one of us is older though. China says he doesn't remember and Japan and I don't remember either. Korea says he was older, but we don't really know.

"Hello," Japan said when Taiwan and I came to him.

"Hello," Taiwan and I greeted back. Taiwan sat down by Japan and peered at his caligraphy. "I wish I can do that too." she pouted.

"China will teach you soon." Japan said calmly. "When you're older, he'll teach you."

Japan's caligraphy is a little different than China's. Japan altered it a little bit, and it looks more easier than Chinese. It made things easier becuase Chinese has a lot more lines than Japanese. China made me learn caligraphy too, but I think it's more like drawing than writing.

Japan continued to practice quietly. I looked over at the pond at Thailand and Macao and went over to them. I looked behind me and Taiwan looked worried. It happened all the time. Whenever Japan is in one direction and I'm in the other, Taiwan didn't know who to go to.

I told her to stay with Japan, but it didn't help much. Oh well. She was already with Japan anyway so it was okay.

Thailand and Macao were watching the fish swim in the water. China's fish are very pretty. They are orange and white and black and more. They are very big too. I sat down by them and watched with them.

Thailand is very nice to me too, like Japan. He had his elephant toy with him. China got him the toy and Thailand takes it everywhere he went. It's cute too.

Macao is younger than me and Thailand but a little older than Taiwan. He looks like he's four too, but if he was human, China said he'd be months older than Taiwan. I still don't understand why countries age so slow. China says if we grow like people, we'd all look like a skeleton. I don't know what a skeleton is so I asked China.

"A skeleton is the hard bony part of a human, aru." China said. "Here, it looks like this, aru."

He drew me a picture. I think a skeleton looks silly and it doesn't look like a human. China says it's inside us. He says that the skeleton protects us and keeps us up.

The fish in the pond were just swimming around so I got bored and went to go play with Korea.

Korea is fast and he can jump very high. He looks like he's six like me and Japan, but some people say five too. Maybe five and a half. I don't know. Korea saw me and told me to help him catch a butterfly.

"Why?" I asked him.

"Because I'm bored, da-ze." Korea said. "And it would be better if two people try to catch it, da-ze."

"What will you do after you catch it?" I asked.

Korea only shrugged and told me to go try and cut it off over by the pagoda in the gardens.

At the end, we learned that a butterfly can fly higher than it lets off.

China called us in for dinner after the butterlfy flew up higher over the wall. Korea and I were sad to see it go, but we were happy to eat. "Aniki's food is delicious, da-ze." Korea declared.

China grinned at him and patted his head. Korea then looked up to see if his hair was okay after that. Korea and Taiwan has this weird long strand of hair that sticks out. I don't know what it's there for and why no one else has it but they said they don't know either.

Dinner was good. China always make sure we're full and we had a good meal. Before everyone left the kitchen, China stopped everyone and said he had gifts for everyone.

"Ooh, is it our birthdays?" Korea asked excitedly.

"It's no one's birthday today." Hong Kong said to Korea. Hong Kong can be quiet like Japan too. "And we all have different birthdays."

China said that he thought it would be nice to get everyone something so he did. He gave Japan a toy wood sword. Then he gave Hong Kong and Taiwan new clothes. Macao got a collection of tales and stories. Korea got new paintbrushes to draw with; Korea likes to draw and sometimes he draws when he's supposed to pratice caligraphy. Thailand got a real baby elephant. Thailand was very excited and asked where.

"Outside, aru. Come, let's all go see it, aru." China said excitedly, ushering us out of the kitchen.

"What about Vietnam?" Japan asked China.

China hugged me tightly, saying sorry over and over again. I didn't mind. I was too busy being excited about an elephant to remember I didn't get one yet. I think an elephant is cool and I wanted to see it, but I didn't tell China that.

"Here, little sister, aru." China said, giving me a book like thing.

I opened it and said it was empty.

"You write in it, aru." China said. "Or draw, whichever you want, aru."

So that's what happened and how I got this. I think I'll stop writing. I can hear Thailand outside laughing. I just looked out the window and he was riding on the elephant. The elephant may be a baby one but it's big enough to give a five year old looking country a ride. He's getting off right now and Korea is getting on. I want to go on too so I'm stopping.

-Vietnam


	2. April 20 102 BC

April 20, 102 BC

Today, I went to go pick flowers with Hong Kong and Taiwan. At first, Taiwan wanted me to come along but then she said that boys have to escort girls so she made Hong Kong go with us. Japan was too busy playing with his new wooden sword and Thailand was helping China with lunch today. We didn't know where Korea or Macao went so Hong Kong went with us.

I don't think boys like to pick flowers. Hong Kong looked bored. But Taiwan and I got a lot of flowers. Pink, purple, red, yellow, and white. There was a lot of flowers. We passed by the village to get back home to China and Hong Kong had to help us carry them all back. I heard people say how nice he was, helping us carry flowers. I also heard some of the village boys teasing Hong Kong.

I felt very bad for Hong Kong and told him that I'd carry the rest of them. "No, it's, like, okay."

"No, I'll carry them."

"No, I will."

"I will."

"No, I, like, got it."

We went back and forth arguing but Taiwan told us to stop. "I don't like fighting." she said quietly.

And so we stopped fighting. But I still heard the village boys teasing Hong Kong. I thought that we passed them but when I looked behind us, I saw them following us. I told Hong Kong but he said to leave them alone.

I knew he was saying that because he didn't want Taiwan and me getting into something like that. But I felt angry at them for making fun of my brother.

"Here," I told Taiwan, and I gave her my flowers.

Taiwan dropped a lot of them, surprised, but I didn't care. Hong Kong looked at me weirdly but then he saw that I was going back. He dumped his flowers on Taiwan too and Taiwan was buried in the flowers. I think she actually fell down and was sitting there in the flowers, wondering what was going on.

I don't know. I was walking towards the village boys while Hong Kong tried to get me to stop. I didn't.

"Stop making fun of my brother." I said to the village boys. They were taller than us, but I wasn't afraid.

They asked me what I'd do if they didn't. I told them I'd send my men after them. China said that even though I was living under his roof, I still had my own people and that I can tell them what to do, as long as China thought it was okay.

But the village boys laughed at me and asked me if I was some sort of princess or something.

"No. But I'm a country." I told them.

They didn't believe me. They said that the only country they knew was China, and they said they never saw any other country.

Then they pushed me down. I didn't see it coming but if I did, I would have dodged them. I fell into the mud, wondering what happened. It hurt. I tried not to cry. But Hong Kong started to yell at them. I don't know what he said but he said something about not touching his sister and to say sorry.

Hong Kong is very brave.

But he was still very small. He was pushed over too. Both of us sat in the mud and the village boys laughed. Hong Kong would have fought back if it wasn't for China coming to us quickly. Taiwan had went to get China and China ran all the way over to see us.

China scolded the village boys and sent them away with a harsh warning. They all said sorry to us, but I saw in their eyes that they didn't mean it. But that didn't matter to me. I went to Hong Kong and aksed if he was okay, to which he said yes. Then he asked me if I was okay, to which _I_ said yes.

Taiwan held as many flowers as she could in her small arms while China carried Hong Kong and me back. I would have helped Taiwan but Taiwan said that I was hurt and that the mud on my clothes would make the flowers dirty, but I think she was more concerned about me and Hong Kong.

China helped us wash up. Hong Kong has a bruise somewhere. I don't know where because Hong Kong wouldn't say. Korea whispered to me, "Maybe on his butt." But Hong Kong overheard and karate chopped Korea's head, and then Korea started to karate chop Hong Kong's head, and they did that back and forth until lunchtime.

Even though I'm one of the oldest, I feel helpless because I'm a girl. If I was a boy, I'd have more freedom but everyone thinks that girls are weaker than boys. I don't like that, but China says that Taiwan and I have to follow what people thought. "Keep that image and you'll be okay, aru." China told me and Taiwan.

Taiwan says that she doesn't like it either but sometimes she likes it because China added in that girls are supposed to look very beautiful and dress nicely, and Taiwan like to play dress up.

Sometimes, I wish that girls can be strong too.

-Vietnam


	3. June 14 102 BC

June 14, 102 BC

Korea was sick today. China says that it's because Korea fell into the pond yesterday and didn't dry up until much later. I ddidn't know you can get sick from falling into a pond. China looks worried but we all told him that a lot of people fall into ponds and they always get better.

"Yeah, aru." China said quietly.

He still looks worried.

We didn't play a lot today. China was with Korea, watching over him and feeding Korea soup. Korea keeps on moaning and groaning about how his head hurts. Taiwan and I went to go get some more flowers today to give to Korea. The village boys didn't bother us today, so I'm very glad.

But I'm still very worried about Korea.

Hong Kong and Japan drew pictures for him and Thailand and Toto-his elephant; isn't that a cute name?-tried to cheer Korea up by tickling him. Korea laughed but after Thailand and Toto stopped, he was sad again.

His long hair strand is low too. I don't know why' maybe his hair strand represents his level of health? It wasn't curly today. It's usually curly at the end but today it wasn't.

Japan is starting to catch Korea's cold too. Japan has a runny nose and he sneeze a lot. Now that I htink about it, my throat is itchy and my nose is starting to run. Am I sick too?

China was in the kitchen, panicking. He's trying to get us to feel better by cooking us some of his good food but his boss, the mean looking old man, came by and said that he has to go 'attend to affairs'. Japan helped me spell that. We worked together on spelling because sometimes we can't remember which character goes where.

Taiwan asked China why he had to go, and China says he had to go balance things out (Japan and I spelled that out together too). I don't know why, but an hour after China left, Korea, Japan, and I felt a lot better. Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao were starting to get sick a few minutes after China left but they didn't get too bad and they felt better the same time we did too.

Thailand was lucky he didn't get the cold. I wonder why.

When everyone was healthy, China was very happy and he said we could go out and play again. So we did.

Hong Kong heard that the old lady down in the village had bought new puppies and said that we should go see them. Taiwan was very excited and nearly ran all the way down to the village. China's house is on a hill a half mile from the village, and sometimes Taiwan fell down.

So Thailand offered to give Taiwan a ride on Toto, which Thailand brought with him and was riding on him. Taiwan nodded eargerly and got onto Toto. There wasn't much room for another person so the rest of us walked.

The old lady is quiet, but she smiles at us when we came to her. She knew what we were there for and showed us the new puppies. There were five of them, and they were small enough to fit into one of my hands. They were noisy and yipped all the time, but that makes them cute.

"China would like to see something this cute, ana." Thailand said thoughtfully.

The old lady offered us a puppy, but Japan said that we shouldn't because the old lady had paid for the puppy with her own money. The old lady patted Japan's head and asked if we should draw China a picture of the puppies instead.

We thought it was a good idea and she got us the tools to paint and draw. It was almost dinner time when we left. We all lined up and hugged the old lady good bye and brought our pictures back to China.

China was excited. He said that all of our drawings were very cute and good and he went to hang them up on the wall. He said that he was proud that we all inherited (this time I spelled that one by myself!) his artistic (Japan got this one) talent.

-Vietnam


	4. June 28 102 BC

June 28 102 BC

Hong Kong's birthday is coming up soon. China said that he'd take us shopping down at the village one at a time so Hong Kong won't suspect anything. Taiwan wanted to go early in the morning and she really did wake up early. She woke us all up before the sun even came up. She was calling China's name loudly to try to get him to wake up.

Like I said, everyone woke up, and that includes Hong Kong.

"Hong Kong, aru." China laughed nervously. "Go back to sleep, okay, aru? Ahh, everyone else too, aru."

"Why, like, us? Why not Taiwan?" Hong Kong had asked.

China didn't say anything at first. He was too busy pushing us back into our rooms. He pushed Macao into his room first because Macao's room is closer, and then he tried to push Hong Kong back into his. Hong Kong is stubborn though, and Hong Kong asked China again.

"Taiwan is helping me work today." China told Hong Kong. "So go back to sleep, aru. It's early, so aren't you sleepy, aru?"

Hong Kong looked at everyone else and we all pretended to be tired. It wasn't hard, because we _were_ tired. I think he didn't really care a lot about that because he shrugged and went back to his room.

Then China sighed and told Taiwan to be more quiet next time and Taiwan pouted, "Well you wouldn't wake up when I kicked you!"

We were wondering how China got a small bruise on his arm.

China left us breakfast when we woke back up again. Taiwan was back from her shopping trip with China and Taiwan won't tell us what she got Hong Kong. "It's a secret!" she said.

Thailand went next. China said it was our job to distract Hong Kong and prevent him from going into the village. We also had to try to prevent him from wondering where China was and why everyone seemed to be gone with him every other hour or two.

At first it was fun. We felt like we were spies, and sometimes we like to play Spies. Korea entertained Hong Kong by drawing pictures on paper and asked him what he just drew.

Once, Korea drew what he said was a fish but Hong Kong said it looked more like a tree with half circles all over it.

"You have no imagination, da-ze!" Korea exclaimed. Everyone laughed.

After Thailand came home, Japan went to ask him what he got Hong Kong while Macao was helping Hong Kong find Taiwan; we were playing hide and seek.

Japan told me that Thailand got Hong Kong a toy soldier. "It has armor and the arms and legs move." Japan said to me.

I spent a lot of time thinking about what to get Hong Kong so when my turn came, I was prepared. I went with China after lunch and by then, China was a little tired of going back and forth from the house and to the village. I told China that I was a big girl now and that I can do things on my own.

China smiled at me and said, "Yes, I know, but if I give you money to buy Hong Kong a present, you'd end up spending the money on yourself, aru."

Okay, maybe he's right about that.

I saw a toy panda in a shop and I thought Hong Kong would love it. I tugged on China's long sleeve and asked if I could get that for Hong Kong.

China looked at the panda and his eyes lit up. I knew that he thought the panda was cute and I knew that he would say yes. And he did.

So I got Hong Kong a panda for his birthday, but it's only a toy. It's a cute toy though so maybe Hong Kong won't mind.

Hong Kong started to wonder why everyone was going out with China today so China took him out after I came back. China said that he was going out with Hong Kong so that he can show him the water puppets and that we should plan the party we're going to throw.

I'm tired now because I wrote everything down. Korea didn't want to write and Taiwan was too busy throwing in ideas to write things down. Japan, Macao, and Thailand offered to write but I said it was okay, but now I wish I would let them take turns because I can barely write anymore in here now.

I think I'll stop before my hand falls off, and I don't want my hand to fall off. I like my hand.

- Vietnam


End file.
